Plane crash kills three, injures dozens at air show (VIDEO)

(AP, ABC7) - A vintage World War II-era fighter plane plunged into the grandstands Friday during a popular annual air show, killing at least three people and injuring roughly 75 and creating a horrific scene strewn with body parts and smoking debris.

A still from a video posted on YouTube by the user slicker0492 appears to show the crash.

An official says there are indications that mechanical problems caused the World War II-era fighter plane to plunge into the grandstands. Mike Houghton, president and CEO of Reno Air Races, made the remarks at a news conference hours after the crash that sent at least 54 people to the hospital.

The pilot, 74-year-old movie stunt pilot Jimmy Leeward, and at least two others were killed.

Houghton says it's too early to know for sure what caused the wreck, but said there appeared to be a "problem with the aircraft that caused it to go out of control."

“You could see that he tried to pull back under and try and miss as many people as possible,” said Carly Holmes, who was watching the race from bleacher seats, according to ABC News Radio. “He missed the bleachers but he hit the crowd."

Leeward is the owner of the Leeward Air Ranch Racing Team and is a well-known racing pilot. His website says he has flown more than 120 races and served as a stunt pilot for numerous movies. Leeward also is a real estate salesman.

One person is heard asking “Are there any EMTs (emergency medical technicians) in the stands?” Sirens are heard in the background.

About 3:15 minutes into the video, the man is filming from the stands above the crash scene. An announcer is heard telling the audience to “gather up, let’s move away from the scene” while emergency vehicles are pulling up.

The National Championship Air Races draws thousands of people every year in September to watch various military and civilian planes race.

Federal investigation to launch

The National Transportation Safety Board will send a team to investigate the crash, a spokesperson confirmed to ABC7. The team will launch from Reagan National Airport Saturday morning.

The remainder of the National Championship Air Races were canceled, race officials said.

The races have attracted scrutiny in the past over safety concerns, including four pilots killed in 2007 and 2008. It was such a concern that local school officials once considered whether they should not allow student field trips at the event.

The competition is like a car race in the sky, with planes flying wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet off the sagebrush at speeds sometimes surpassing 500 mph. Pilots follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft.